San Francisco's Mayor London N. Breed is firing on all cylinders with the Housing for All plan - a beast of a blueprint aiming to change the cityscape by building more housing, as reported by the city's official newsroom. Released last year, it's already seeing strides through legal changes, expedited permitting, and by bringing dollars to affordable housing. "If we want to be a City that families can afford to live in, where workers can be near their jobs, where seniors and young people can find safe, affordable places to live, then we need to completely change our approach to housing," Mayor Breed pointed out.
In the Housing for All first-year roundup, major highlights stand out. Breed has managed to cut through the red tape, passing Proposition C, which gives Office-to-Residential conversions a free pass on transfer taxes. But it's not all sunshine – while zoning proposals are in for a fine-tune to push mid-rise housing near transit corridors, the Board of Supervisors is dragging its feet on legislation that would scrap density limits on commercial corridors. "The Board should advance this proposal without further delay," Breed insisted.
With Prop A's passage, bringing in $300 million for affordable housing, the cash flow is rising, but the demand overshadows the supply. Breed has her eye on snagging up to $150 million more by meeting state requirements for pro-housing designation, though that's still up in the air with the Board of Supervisors. Working with Supervisor Dorsey, she's also fighting to keep the Treasure Island development afloat, promising a wave of 1,000 new homes.
Breed's aggressive agenda has found cheerleaders. YIMBY's San Francisco Organizing Director Jane Natoli supported the Mayor's efforts, stating, "Mayor Breed continues to lead the way in proposing tangible solutions to our housing shortage and putting them into practice." Core components of the plan, from permitting reforms to crafting a more inclusive cityscape, are drawing nods from the pros at SPUR, too, with Director of Special Projects Annie Fryman amped about applying the same gumption to the looming citywide rezoning.
